Did This Small Mistake Kill Everyone? - The Heartbreaking Story of Air Canada 621

There is always more than one factor that contributes to the outcome of an air disaster. This is one accident that really speaks for itself. It’s a stunning tale of how one small mistake, birthed from the need to navigate a perceived threat from an old design flaw, how a simple accident quickly transformed into something truly monstrous. What happened here is, in every sense of the word, horrific. Pure terror, and none of it had to happen. In this episode of Disaster Breakdown, I tell you the tale of Air Canada Flight 621.

Chapters
00:00 What Happened Here?
01:09 Montreal
06:10 In-flight
09:25 Approach Begins
11:35 The Spoiler Situation
19:10 Touchdown
24:20 The Final Moments
28:23 Immediate Aftermath
29:42 The Crash Site Today
33:34 Unfinished Business
36:48 Loftleidir Flight 509

#aviation #canada

[DisasterBreakdown]

NOTICE TO VIEWERS!!
I am editing the pinned comment to drop this message to highlight a mistake in this video. I have blurred the images that I used for the First Officer and Second Officer. I had mistakenly used the incorrect images. Originally I had an image of the Second Officer in place of the First Officer and an image of the Flight's Purser in the position of the Second Officer. This was an error made when I isolated these images from the newspaper clipping they came from. This was entirely my fault and I apologize for this stupid mistake. I could not keep them in the video knowing this now so have taken the decision to blur them from the video. So that is why those parts are the way they are now.

Thanks.
Chloe.

[chaseheckroth]

Just hearing that First Officer’s voice saying “Pete Sorry” knowing that by his own hand he may have doomed everyone is so heartbreaking..

[piecanl]

"Sorry! Sorry, Pete!" Even without the voice recording I can feel the devistation oozing from this :-(

[StephenC.Tucker]

This is why I'm a firm believer in "Touch the Ground, Stay On the Ground."
If you smack the ground that hard, and don't know the extent of the damage to flight controls, engines, and surfaces... shove it in and bring it to a stop...
I'd rather ride through a possible runway excursion and evacuation, than fall out of the sky because we went around.

[WebVid]

My family and I witnessed the entire sequence of events from the terminal observation deck that morning. From the approach, to the loss of the engine, to the plane falling out of the sky - and every horrifying step in between. The words you chose in your intro were apropos to put it mildly.

[kvarner]

That is the most thoughtful memorial for an aircraft crash I've ever seen, with the tiles arranged by family. It's beautiful.

[lostvictims]

In remembrance:

Captain Peter Cameron Hamilton, 50
First Officer Donald Rowland, 40
Flight Engineer Harry Gordon Hill, 28
Purser Robert J. Cédilot, 29
Flight Attendant Marie T. Ginette Bertrand, 23
Flight Attendant Yolande M.C. Daoust, 25
Flight Attendant Suzanne M. Dion, 23
Flight Attendant Denise M. Goulet, 22
Flight Attendant Hildegund Wieczorek, 24
Céline Fradette Adam
Pierre J. Adam
Gaétan Beaudin, 27
Roland Bélanger, 38
Hélène Bélanger, 39
Jacques Bélanger, 15
Jean Bélanger, 12
Rosanne Bélanger, 10
Helen Benson, 12
Leonard Benson, 45
Mary Benson, 39
Richard Benson, 9
Lynn Ann Boosamra, 11
Guy Boulanger
Dollie Bradshaw
Jeannine Chapdelaine, 30
Joanne Chapdelaine, 11
Mario Chapdelaine, 8
Jean Maurice Charest
Devona Olivia Clarke, 56
Francine Côté
Brigitte Rodrigue DesMarais, 34
Gabriel DesMarais
Alice Dicaire, 49
Gilles Dicaire, 46
Linda Dicaire, 16
Luc Dicaire, 11
Marc Dicaire, 14
Jacqueline Doré, 47
Lewella Frances Earle, 21
Linda Margaret Earle, 21
Francesco Filippone, 37
Linda Filippone, 15
Marie Filippone, 37
King Bun Gee, 35
Madeleine Maria Flores Honorine Grenier, 54
Diana Cicely Growse, 41
Jane Isobel Growse, 2
Roger Henry Growse, 4
Karen Elaine Hamilton, 19
Ronald Alvin Herrmann, 32
Claude Kieran Holiday, 57
Wesley Graham Houston, 52
Irene Marguerite Houston, 51
Vagn Aage Jakobsen, 24
Gilles Labonté, 43
Marie-Rose Leclaire, 57
Oscar Leclaire, 67
Henri W. Leduc
Claudette Lepage, 29
Gerald Bernard Mailhiot
Claire Gagnon-Mailhiot
Karolina Fiedler Maitz, 57
Gustav Adolf Maitz, 56
Winnifred Grace McKettrick, 46
John Walter McTague, 63
Carla Medizza
Dolly Mohammed, 38
Antonio Costanzo Molino, 43
Michel Molino, 14
Frederick Thompson Moore, 48
Carnis Ann Partridge, 30
Cyril Wayne Partridge, 29
Andreé Partridge, 67
Kenneth William Phillips, 27
Rita Gagné-Poirier, 56
Gilles Raymond, 16
Marcel Raymond, 45
Georges Étienne Robert, 49
Aline Legault Robert, 45
Lionel Émile Robidoux, 37
Marci Robin Silverberg, 12
Merle Silverberg, 34
Steven Phllip Silverberg, 9
Istvan Simon, 35
Mark Woodrow Simon, 46
Dwight Lee Smith, 24
Glenn Thomas Steppings, 17
Blanche Lucienne St-Laurent, 52
Celia Sultan
Jerald Mark Sultan, 4 months
Robert Lowell Sultan, 2
Borys A. Szpakowicz, 39
Serge-Alexandré Szpakowicz, 10
Carmen M.M. Tielens, 41
Frederick A.J. Tielens, 8
Athanasia Tournovits, 42
George Soula Tournovits, 14
Carla Weinberg, 11
Rita Naomi Weinberg, 39
Wendy Weinberg, 8
Jennifer Cavell Whittingham, 54
John Reginald Whittingham, 12
Reginald Whittingham, 53
Mary Baker Whybro, 62
Edgar Bradley Witmer, 48
Mansing Wong, 63
Ngar-Quon Wong, 58
Suzie Wong, 11
Dallas James Woodard, 60

[SeasonOracle]

As someone who’s Canadian, this disaster really stuck out for me. Being one of the only completely fatal accidents in Air Canada’s history (The other being Trans-Canada Lines 831), it’s so surprising there’s barely any videos about it online. Thanks for covering this accident.

[MikeDorais]

Thank you for this doc, great work as usual. I lost 3 friends on that flight, Mario, Joanne, Jeannine Chapdelaine. French Canadian friends of our family, they were loved and are not forgotten.

[AGoodVibe]

I’ve watched hundreds of air disaster docs on YouTube. This may be the best I’ve ever seen. The attention to detail, genuine interest and empathy, footage from a personal visit to the memorial….wow. Outstanding job.

[sadrevolution]

I had a "worst Canadian disasters" book when I was a kid. The three stories that stuck with me from it were the Halifax WWI explosion, the collapse of the Quebec bridges, and this story. The way it was recounted in the book was essentially: the first officer pulled back rather than pushed forward on the lever deploying the spoilers immediately rather than on touchdown, the plane fell out of the sky like a rock, bounced once, pulled up, and crashed into a nearby hillside, and the first officer's refusal to arm the spoilers as directed by procedure was arrogant and directly responsible for everyone's death, the end. No accounting for pilots' reticence to follow procedure, no explanation of the damage done to the pylons, engines, and wings from the hard landing, no discussion about the tower's failure to communicate vital information to the pilots, and one inexplicable hill fabrication. This video did a much better job.

[hannahp]

God. That last "Pete, sorry" is so, so, so heartbreaking. That poor man. That poor poor man. He is dying with the guilt that he has caused all these other deaths by a silly mistake. Oh, my heart. And the arrangement of the squares in the memorial is so poignant.

Edit: Also, dang Chloe, this video was really really fricking good, wow

[apocrypha]

The fact that the FO spent the last few minutes of his life blaming himself for what was truly just an honest and understandable mistake, makes it all the more tragic.

He should never have been put in a position where that error was so easy to make.

[moreheff]

This was up there amongst the most heart breaking of stories. The fact that the F/O instantly took the blame as he knew what would happen next just makes it worse. I also have to commend you on the video. They keep getting better. The delivery and composition is totally professional. On a par with anything on TV and other channels, of which there are many excellent ones. However, what I feel sets you apart is the deep humanity and compassion with which you approach and treat them. It is almost as if you know everyone on board and the loss affects you as well, and this runs through all your videos. This one is no exception. The visit to the crash site just highlights that as well. Outstanding work

[ericalexander]

"Pete, sorry." That's a phrase that pops into my head on occasion. It's such a meaningful two short words, said by a man who knew he'd made a mistake, and who obviously felt the weight of it in the moment, and deep regret for the error. Very sad.

[zestyquestman]

You've really upped your production quality. Its been insane to have been watching you since 2018.

[bossfight]

Props for you to go all the way to the location of the victims demise to film this video, well made!

[rsookchand]

Every video has the same message:

Air safety is written in blood

[craigsmallman]

I was 12 when this happened. I remember being at home when my father, and Air Canada Pilot and accident investigator, got a phone call and had to leave right away. He was an investigator on this accident. Over the summer the investigation team met at our house (in Etobicoke) many time to discuss what had to be done, and how to approach the investigation. My father explained to me all the things that happened, and why they did happen. I believe this video is pretty accurate based on my recollection, with a few exceptions. The #4 engine broke off when they hit the ground, and damaged the outer wing. The #3 engine pilon broke across the front as it was held to the wing with a semicircle of bolts at the front, and a large one at the back. The front bolts were ripped out, the rear held. There was sufficient fuel in the fuel system to keep the engine running, and the torque kept that engine and pilon pressed up against the wing and in place. As the plane flew on, the damaged fuel system could not supply fuel to the engine, and the #3 engine stopped and fell away. This tore the inner wing apart as it twisted free. This caused the additional explosion, and accounted for total the damage to the wing. #3 engine was found in a field starved of fuel. When the wing came off, the plane rolled over 2 and 1/2 times and went in nose first, but essentially upside down. At one time, I was able to go through all the photos of the crash site. There was no gore, and there was almost nothing distinguishable. I only saw that photo album once as I assume my dad took it away.

[bcmfin]

My father was working the tower that day. I was 12 years old. I still remember when he came home from work.